Why 80/20 Carpet?

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31776, 5 September 1968, Page 14

Why 80/20 Carpet?

Why add bri-nylon to carpet yam? Why not an allwool Axminster? The answer is a logical one, brilnylon reduces wear. There are two main causes of wear in a carpet . . . soiling and abrasion.

Unless a carpet is vacuum cleaned at least once a week, dust and grit collect at the bottom of the pile and act as cutting agents. This is easy to combat, being a simple problem of carpet care. Abrasion, or wear due to surface friction, is something which is not so easily controlled because it varies according to use. Tricycles, toys, and children’s vigorous games are a major source of abrasion. The scuffing of feet on carpet, especially in front of chairs in rooms con-

taining television sets, is another major source of surface wear. Abrasion is particularly heavy in living-rooms and other rooms subjected to continuous use. It is this abrasion that brinylon so noticeably combats. This has been proven in laboratory tests, on the floor wear tests, and subsequent in-home use: 80/20 has been an accepted blend in the United Kingdom for over seven years.

The managing director of the International Wool Secretariat, in a recent statement referring to Axminster carpets, said: “With television keeping people indoors, there were many complaints. To increase the abrasion resistance and keep the price down, nylon was blended in ... we are promoting it to protect the 80 per cent wool content.”

The demand for an 80/20 blend first arose when Riccarton entered the carpet' export field. Overseas buyers, including international consultants for the Hong Kong Hilton and similar large hotels, specified 80/20 as a pre-requisite to further negotiations. The firm introduced brinylon into their domestic grade Axminsters in 1965, and more than three years' experience has satisfied them that bri-nylon does reduce abrasion wear.